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I met a Capricorn at work. He asked me out and we dated for nearly six months. Being a Taurus girl I need affection, but Capricorn wanted to take things slow - in fact, he wanted more of a friendship than a relationship. I let him go after six months, but in my gut I didn’t feel right about this decision. We’ve now been friends for about two months, and he’s been staying over at my place because of high gas prices. On a physical level, he sometimes tickles me, and give me hugs, and once in a while kisses me on the cheek - but nothing more. I really am in love with him, and I want to know what he feels about me. Can you help explain this Capricorn man of mine? - Laura, California
Laura, thanks for your question. As you probably know, Taurus and Capricorn are usually an excellent combination. They’re both Earth signs, and they understand the importance of stability. However Capricorns are ruled by the planet Saturn, and they can sometimes be detached and calculating. Maybe putting their own interests first, and trying to run their life according to a plan. So your description of your Capricorn man would appear to be true to type. Being an Earth sign he’s comfortable with physical contact - hence the hugging and tickling - but being a Capricorn he’s aware that commitment has practical consequences.
Looking at things in greater detail, I set up a chart for the moment I received your question. It’s clear that your man’s very intelligent, but he also appears to be stubborn. He’s seems to have a clear idea about the way things should be going, and getting him to do things you way is going to be difficult if not impossible. So if you carry on pandering to his needs you could end up extremely frustrated.
I also can’t help noticing that when I got your email, the Moon was in the Third House, of short distance travel. In the kind of chart I was judging, the Moon’s house position often tells us what the question is really about. And I’m afraid it might be very, very trivial - ‘high gas prices’. In other words, as you said yourself, he’s staying at your home because of the price of gasoline - and that’s that. And many Capricorns don’t like spending money if they don’t have to.
Also, the Moon is void of course - it’s made its last aspect with a traditional planet before leaving the sign, and the matter isn’t going anywhere.
Under these circumstances, I’d urge you to move on, and not to get too hung up on your Capricorn man. I don’t think you’re going to get what you want from him, and the sooner you accept this the better.
Sorry to be negative, and of course there’s always the possibility that I’m wrong. I should also say that the overall situation is likely to improve in early September. You’ll have a clearer idea about what you want, and you’ll be able to take active steps to improve your love life. But in the shorter term, large scale initiatives should be avoided, and the focus should probably be on quiet contemplation.
I started a voluntary organisation that’s been successful in terms of helping many people. However, every step of the way has been beset by unusual difficulties. So far, very little funding has come our way. I have worked incredibly hard and am out of pocket - I am wondering if this organisation will ever receive the income it needs to launch the projects we think will help so many more people. We are applying for charitable status. - John, UK
Thanks John for your question. You provided me with your birth details, but I don’t see any need to mention them here.
As far as your personal chart is concerned, now is probably a rather difficult period for you. I cast your Hindu chart, and since August 2006 it could have been a financial roller-coaster, and it may have been difficult for you to predict where exactly your finances were going. This period continues until August 2009, so it’s not surprising that your organisation has directly or indirectly placed a drain on your resources. You also have been attracting surprise financial events, which haven’t always been welcome.
Looking at your specific question, I set up a horoscope for the moment I understood what you were asking. My answer, in my opinion - with the possibility that I’m wrong because there’s no scientific evidence that astrology works - is NO. I don’t believe that THIS organisation will receive the income it needs, to launch THE PROJECTS YOU THINK will help so many more people.
But please note the capitalisation. I’m saying that the projects that are on your mind, that you’re actively planning, are unlikely to attract the money you’re looking for. Other projects, which you haven’t yet thought of, might attract money. Also, you’re referring to ‘this organisation’ - the organisation in its current form.
My feeling is, that some of the organisation’s problems have been caused by different people with different views - and there seems to have been a certain amount of stubbornness. Perhaps the details of the matter haven’t been properly understood, and it’s been difficult to see the full picture?
Taking things further, I have a feeling that there’s something about the organisation, in it’s current form, that’s flawed, and that you should consider a re-launch. So in this sense, it’s a good thing that you still haven’t got charitable status. A relaunch doesn’t have to affect the organisation’s day-to-day running; but a change of name, a change of image, a new mission statement, could make a big difference. Then you can move forward, hopefully get charitable status, and hopefully be successful.
Going back to your chart, I think you’ve got to work on your own finances, and not allow the organisation to put you ‘out of pocket’. Particularly now, when there are genuine financial pressures. I don’t believe these pressures will go away in the short term - I’m thinking not until the late summer of 2009, at the earliest.
I’m sorry to be so negative, but I believe that it’s best to see the picture as it is, because that allows you to make the changes that can improve your fortunes.
I am at a crossroads in life and undergoing a lot of changes both spiritually and career wise. Can you please give me some direction? - Paul, NY, USA
Paul, thanks for the question. And you’ve given me no information to work on, not even your star sign!
I set up a chart for the time I read and understood your question, and my broad advice is to do nothing. There’s nothing wrong with being at a crossroads, and sometimes the best option is to consider the pros and cons of the various paths that are in front of you, in your own time. And I don’t think you’re in a position to make a decision, not yet.
Broadly speaking, you’re coming to the end of one phase of your life. There has been recent confusion, and I think that underlying your question may be issues surrounding health and fitness. Perhaps your recent lifestyle hasn’t been as healthy as it should have been? Or the atmosphere you’re in has the potential to have a negative impact on your health?
By the way, on the off chance that you’re considering buying a pet, for example a dog or a cat, don’t do it, it’ll be more trouble than it’s worth.
To provide some astrological detail, when I received you question Pisces was rising, and you are therefore represented by Jupiter. Jupiter is currently going backwards, and it keeps going backwards, until September 8. So until then, I can’t see much going on, good or bad - so although I mentioned your health, I doubt anything negative will happen in that department.
I’m sorry to be so downbeat and boring. But get back in touch in mid-September, and I’m pretty sure the situation will be changing.
You do the I Ching, don’t you? I want to start a business this summer, and I got hexagram number one, the Creative. What do you think? - Peter, Aylesbury
Peter, thanks for the question. Nice and simple, straight to the point. For the benefit of readers that don’t know about the I Ching, or the Book of Changes, it’s a Chinese system of divination, that’s based on sixty-four different outcomes - the hexagrams. You usually find these hexagrams by throwing three coins, six times, then consulting the Book. Depending on how the coins fall, the hexagram can change - for example hexagram number six, ‘Conflict’, can change into hexagram number eleven, ‘Peace’.
In your case, there is no movement. It’s number one, the Creative, and it doesn’t change into anything else. In the jargon, it’s ‘locked’.
The first hexagram, the creative, is very powerful. It’s symbolised by six unbroken lines, one on top of the other. So it’s pure yang, the Creative, male force of oriental philosophy. You’ve got a big idea, that’s incredibly powerful. However because the hexagram’s locked, it isn’t going anywhere, not at the moment. Maybe the world isn’t ready for your new venture? And while I’m sure the business could work, the summer strikes me as being too early. In fact, you’ve probably worked this out already, and the I Ching’s just confirming what you know.
I would advice you to spend the summer working on yourself, and you must make sure that you’ve got what it takes to be successful in your business. Be persevering, be patient!
One final thing. Don’t be tempted to ask the I Ching the same question twice. The oracle has spoken, and that’s it.
What kind of match do an Aries and a Scorpio make? The Aries has Taurus rising and a Libra Moon, the Scorpio has Aquarius rising and a Scorpio Moon. How does the Aries deal with the hidden feelings between them, that no-one is revealing? Yet the Scorpio seems aware of some of the Aries’ feelings - for example her possessiveness. These are two heterosexual friends (both female) who have met up again after a long absence. Both are very confused! - Charlie, Canada
Charlie, thanks a lot for getting in touch. I dealt with the broad compatibility between Aries and Scorpio in the previous question, and as I said, it’s not an easy combination. The Aries just doesn’t know how to respond, and if she acts on impulse she could spoil everything.
Of course, you have gone beyond star signs, and you’ve supplied information about the Moons and the rising signs. This should help clarify the picture.
The Aries was born around the time of a Full Moon - the Sun’s in Aries, the Moon’s in the opposite sign of Libra. She’s torn between on one hand her need to be assertive, symbolised by the Sun in Aries, and on the other hand her desire for harmony, peace and compromise, symbolised by the Moon in Libra. There can be moments of indecision, and just when the Aries has made up her mind, she has second thoughts. But as I said to Jamie in the previous question, she really would like the other party to make her decisions for her, because it would make things so much simpler.
The Scorpio, by contrast, was born at the time of a New Moon - by definition, because both the Sun and the Moon are in the same sign. The Scorpio really is a Scorpio! She keeps her feelings to herself, and she almost seems to be afraid of expressing them - except perhaps in specific situations, which are tightly controlled, for example in a career setting.
And I think that the Aries is going to be particularly sensitive to the Scorpio, because of her Taurus rising. Scorpio is the opposite sign to Taurus, so Scorpio triggers in Aries a side of her personality that’s hidden but very real. This is perhaps where the possessiveness of the Aries come in. Ariens are not usually very possessive, but with Taurus as the rising sign this changes. Especially when she meets a Scorpio!
I suspect that the Scorpio is going to be fairly self-contained - because the Sun and the Moon are in the same sign. She’s got many of the things she needs, and she doesn’t need to go out of her way to find the missing pieces to her emotional puzzle.
The Full Moon Aries, by contrast, would be looking around for emotional satisfaction, and she might be altering her approach at regular intervals. So there’s a danger that the Scorpio watches, like a theatre audience, while the Aries acts out her various dramas. The Aries is therefore giving a lot, but what’s she getting back from the Scorpio, except subtle hints?
Overall, I feel that the Aries might become emotionally exhausted by the Scorpio. And chasing the Scorpio could be too much effort. Not just because Aries and Scorpio can be a difficult combination, but because of the fundamental tension between a New Moon person, the Scorpio, and a Full Moon person, the Aries. Besides, Aries is not by nature a complicated sign, and when it’s playing complicated guessing games it’s on unfamiliar territory.
Therefore my advice to the Aries is to stop chasing the Scorpio, on all levels - in terms of actions, thoughts and feelings. Yet the Aries can still be open to the possibility of something happening. It might be unlikely, but if she’s relaxed about the outcome this unlikeliness shouldn’t be a problem.
I’m an Aries female, and I’m trying to figure out a Scorpio woman, who I am interested in. Although she is ostensibly ’straight’, she does have same-sex attractions. How much will these attractions be repressed in a typical Scorpio? And what’s the best way of showing my affection? I don’t want to ruin our friendship. - Jamie, England
Jamie, thanks for your question. Strangely, a few hours after you contacted me, I received another question, from another Aries woman, asking about another female Scorpio. I’ll be answering that question very soon.
As you probably know, Aries and Scorpio are one of the most challenging combinations. The Aries tends to be honest and upfront, saying what’s on her mind at the first opportunity, while the Scorpio keeps a lot of things to herself. And because they function at different levels, the relationship can often be quite strained.
You should also bear in mind that both Aries and Scorpio are ruled by Mars, and Mars is the god of war. However Aries and Scorpio tend to express their Mars in different ways. With Aries it’s about being assertive, and using sudden initiatives to create new situations. Scorpios, on the other hand, are more defensive - they usually wait for their boundaries to be threatened, and only then do they go on the offensive.
Looking at the specifics of your Scorpio friend, I’m taking what you say at face value, that she really does have ’same-sex attractions’. Well, Scorpios might hide their feelings, but they don’t usually repress them - there’s a difference! The Scorpio is well aware of her feelings, but being defensive by nature she might want to keep quiet about them. Or, she’ll use her emotional scanners to work out whether or not it’s safe to reveal them.
Remember also that there are a number of reasons why Scorpios might want to keep their feelings to themselves. It’s not just about how the world might react to particular preferences. For example, can the other person be trusted? Will the other person let them down in a crisis? For most Scorpios loyalty is very important, and they want to be sure that potential partners are going to be reliable. An Aries, for example, might worry a Scorpio - the Rams having a certain reputation for being hasty and even selfish.
We now move to the nitty-gritty - how you might be able to get closer to your Scorpio friend, without causing offence. I think you have to be psychological about it, and you have to understand that in the female horoscope the Sun has a secondary role, that’s connected with relationships.
From a heterosexual point of view, the Sun in a female horoscope often represents the male principle, which includes a set of expectations. And I would guess that in same-sex female relationships the Sun is what your want from a partner, especially if you’ve decided that an opposite-sex relationship can’t provide what you’re looking for.
In your case, with your Sun in Aries, you might give the impression of being confident and assertive; but in terms of romance, I suspect that deep down you want the other person to make the moves - in other words, to act out the Aries for you. This is, I think, your fantasy about the Scorpio. She’d take the action, and you’d just go with the flow.
Unfortunately, that’s an unlikely scenario. Your friend has the Sun in Scorpio, and that’s how you’ll have to behave. You’ll entice and seduce her by adopting the traits of the Scorpio. This is going to be difficult, but probably not impossible. Let DESIRE be the bedrock of who you are, and try to be emotional without wearing your heart on your sleeve. And when you’re with her, you must try to embody the concept of desire, and that’s not about speaking or acting, it’s about expressing your fundamental being.
Yet there’ll probably come a time when you have to make your position clear, in a way that leaves no room for doubt. Your intuition must decide on the right moment, and you must be open to the possibility of failure. I know, you don’t want to lose the friendship, but at some stage you might have to take that risk.
I have been working on the same book for 10 years with high expectations. Am I deluded? Is my life for writing or should I give in to the temptation to give it up?? I would also be interested in any romantic advice for the following year. I feel these aspects of my life are in some disarray. - Abigail, Australia
Abigail, thanks for the question. Or rather your three questions:
1. Is writing your vocation?
2. Is the book you’ve been working on worth pursuing further?
3. What are your romantic prospects for the next year?
I’m pretty sure that writing can be part of your vocation. Your career house is ruled by Venus, and your Venus is in Pisces, which is the sign of its exaltation. Furthermore Venus, along with the Sun and Mercury, is in the Third House, that relates to writing and communication.
However you have Mercury opposition Jupiter. This aspect allows you to churn out the words, but I wonder if you sometimes take on too much? Trying to write about something that’s very big, to the point of being unmanageable? Maybe you need to break things down into smaller chunks?
As far as your current project is concerned, it’s worth noting that in August 1997, in Hindu astrology, you entered the Saturn major period, which continues until August 2016. So you started your book soon after this phase began. It’s been hard work, with, I suspect, a lot of isolation.
I set up a chart for the time I received your question, and I really do believe that the book you are writing is sound, and that if anything is spoiling your project, it’s your own doubts. There might also be a financial dimension - like it or not, you’re thinking about money, and you’re wondering whether it’s all worth it.
Your doubts and concerns could scupper the project, but they needn’t - just remember that what you’ve written is of high quality, and there’s a way of selling it. In this light, I’m confident that over the summer - sorry, you’re in Australia, winter! - you could have a breakthrough, provided you make the effort.
And going back to your Hindu chart, it’s time that you started tying up loose ends. From July 17 onwards the picture gets brighter, and this should be the start of a major drive to get your book sorted out. There’ll still be times when you have to grit your teeth, when you have serious doubts about what you’re doing. But if you’re persistent it’ll be OK.
I think you can improve matters if you gave a boost to your Moon - from July 17 2008 through to February 16 2010 the Moon is of special importance. So from July 17 onwards make Mondays special, and wear the Moon’s special gemstone - which is the pearl. This should be worn next to the skin, allergies permitting. If you’re a vegetarian, you might want to choose some other white stone - for example a moonstone.
Finishing up with romance, and I don’t have a particularly clear picture about what’s going on, though I think there may be a certain amount of indecision between now and early September - perhaps, if there’s anyone else in the picture, they’ll find it difficult to make up their mind. However your ideas about what you want from a relationship are in the process of radical change, and this process of change will continue through 2008 and much of 2009. So if things don’t go to plan, consider your own role in the matter.
Hi! I’ve been single for almost two years. I’m a Gemini in my early ‘forties. My question is: ‘Will I meet someone special this year? If so, could you please describe him and tell me roughly when I’ll meet him?’ Thanks! - Janine, West Midlands
Janine, thanks for your question. And thanks for making it so clear. You’ve implied that from a romantic point of view, you’re not interested in meeting just anyone, you want to meet someone special. You’ve also given a time frame - by the end of the year.
If I were to look at your question using star sign astrology, I would say that it might be a good idea, in 2008, to give romance a miss. Sagittarius is your opposite sign, Jupiter is the ruler of Sagittarius, and for the whole of the year this planet is moving through Capricorn, a sign where it doesn’t function very well.
So you might be attracted to people who are self-centred and mean. And if you get involved in a relationship between now and July 10 there could be particular problems - I think connected with the other person having an inferiority complex. Geminis are intelligent people, who don’t suffer fools gladly!
When I look at the horoscope I set up for the moment I read your email, the picture is very clear. Although I get the impression that right now there’s someone who is very keen on you, I don’t think romance is advisable - though from September through to November the temptations could be strong.
The person in question is generous, has an opinion on most things, is probably not particularly tall and might have a bit of a temper. If you really forced it, you could probably have a relationship with them, but I don’t believe that they’re the ’someone special’ you’re looking for, and it’s very unlikely the relationship would go anywhere.
I’m sorry to have bad news, but right now pursuing romance is probably a waste of your resources. There are other, more satisfying things that you could be concentrating on.
And fortunately there’s a time limit to your question, because you only asked about this year. On January 1 2009, at the stroke of midnight, it’s over. The negative picture I get when looking at the horoscope of your question no longer holds.
Going back to star sign astrology, on January 5 2009 Jupiter moves into Aquarius. This is great news, and next year I don’t see any reason why you can’t find someone special. A person who can answer your aspirations, spiritually, intellectually and emotionally.
I’m a Virgo. I had an argument with my neighbour. She said I was making too much noise. After the argument I had a lot of bad luck. Has she put the evil eye on me? - Karen, Bristol
Karen, it’s surprisingly common for people to think that other people are cursing them, and as an astrologer I occasionally get clients who believe they’re being undermined by the negative vibes of their supposed enemies. It’s a fear that’s as old as humanity itself, and nothing to be ashamed of. And we certainly shouldn’t discount the power of the mind - through a hostile attitude people can cause each other a lot of damage.
Perhaps, as a Virgo, you’re very sensitive to your neighbour’s animosity - assuming it really is animosity, and isn’t just a one-off argument. However before you go blaming your neighbour for your bad luck, consider the possibility that you’re going through a bad patch. With Saturn going through your star sign, and Uranus going through Pisces, your opposite sign, there are going to be times when things don’t go to plan. And you might be experiencing set-backs at a number of levels. Rather than take on everything at once, deal with the various issues in your life one at a time.
As far as your neighbour is concerned, try to be nice, try to understand what’s bothering her. If that’s not possible, try the following simple but effective exercise, which was recommended to me by an old friend many years ago. Take a piece of paper, and write your neighbour’s name on it. Fold the piece of paper in half, and put it somewhere that you never use or visit. For example, at the bottom of a draw, that you never open. Or maybe in an old suitcase, in your attic or cellar.
By doing this excercise you’re doing neither your neighbour nor yourself any damage; instead you’re just cutting your links with them. The neighbour will hopefully slip from your attention, and by the same token, she’ll start paying less attention to you. Of course, it would also help if you made less noise!
My partner (we are gay males) left me after 10 years together. We had a good relationship, with the usual ups and downs. I found out that he had been seeing another man, but he says he hasn’t left me for him. We have been in regular contact, but I have been forced to leave my home because of debts - which he has walked away from. We are going to couple counselling this week. I feel he may be saying things that I just want to hear. I am a Libran, he is an Aquarian, aged 46 and 47 respectively. Will he be coming back, or is this just his calculating game plan? - Dave, Kent
I’ve a hunch that both you and your partner are dealing with life-cycle issues. It’s not just about whether Libra or Aquarius are compatible, it’s about what you want to do with your life at this particular stage. As we move through our lives we have different needs, and in terms of relationships every now and then there can be a changing of the guard.
Looking at your partner, he has Jupiter in Capricorn. Sometimes Jupiter in Capricorn people put a high premium on their own material interests, often to the point of being selfish. Jupiter has a twelve-year cycle, and at the end of December 2007 it entered Capricorn, and so returned to the sign it was in when he was born. And it stays in Capricorn for the duration of 2008. It’s therefore possible that he became very focused on his material needs, and that emotional and personal considerations were increasingly pushed into the background. This might partially explain why he walked away from his debts. But maybe you’re seeing a side to him that you previously hadn’t been aware of?
Another point to consider is that in Hindu astrology the forty-seventh birthday is important. Your partner turned forty-seven in January or February of this year, and on this birthday Ketu, the ninth planet of Hindu astrology, matured. As a result he may have developed powerful desires. These desires could relate to any area of life, and he may be feeling that his usual way of being wasn’t giving him the possibility to achieve his desires. Which might explain why your relationship moved into some kind of crisis.
In some ways it’s very fortunate that you and your partner are both Air signs - these signs being Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. The Air signs tend to be logical, and when a relationship between two Air signs runs into turbulence there can be a civilised discussion. So what you perhaps need to do is have this discussion, and find out what your partner is looking for. Because I really do believe that his recent behaviour is not about you, instead it’s about his life direction.
As to your question about whether or not he’s coming back, the issue is, I think, whether or not his relationship with you is helping him get to where he wants to go. This is something you and him have to work through.
By the way I’m not convinced that your partner is indulging in a ‘calculating game plane’. Instead, he is aware of the things he has and hasn’t achieved, and he’s still working out what he needs to do in the real world to reach his destination. At least that’s my view.
Finally, you need to think of yourself. You’re a Libran, and if you’re typical of your sign it’s important for you to be in a relationship. But emotionally you’re able to move on if things aren’t working out. And perhaps you have to start thinking about your own desires? You’ll be forty-seven in the Autumn, there are certain things, which might seem unimportant now, which you’re going to want very badly in six months time. Don’t let anyone stand in your way!